The Stan won their 4^th away league game in a row and but it wasn’t a classic for the Stan Army to watch and it was made worse by the freezing, wet and dark conditions. There was only 1 change with the return from injury of Regan in goals.

The Stan kicked off and immediately had 2 corners with the 2^nd being cleared. The Stan continued to attack, mainly through Holland, until Ryton had their 1^st attack and corner in the 4^th minute which Regan caught the ball from. He then kicked the ball wind assisted up the pitch to Robertson but the ball went out. In 5 minutes Burns got into the box but from the resulting corner Robertson couldn’t get to it. It was still mainly Stan and in 7 minutes Mason headed just out. The Stan then crossed the ball back into the box and a Ryton defender nearly headed into his own net but the ball went out for a corner. A Ryton attack was then easily cleared.

After a quiet period, a Stan attack was put out for a corner in 17 minutes, Ryton then attacked and Regan had to block with his feet. In 19 minutes Regan came to the rescue again when he got down well to stop a long shot blasted through the crowded box. The Stan had another couple of attacks with the 2^nd involving a Charmey long shot which the keeper got down to save. Regan cleared again in 25 minutes before a period of sustained Stan pressure until Regan blocked a Ryton shot in the 30^th minute. A Burns free kick in 33 minutes just missed going into the top left hand corner of the home net. Ryton’s Holder caught from the resulting corner. In 43 minutes Regan caught followed by a Robertson counter which resulted in Holder catching. The Stan attacked again. In 47 minutes Holland was tripped in the box but nothing was given. The ball came back in but Robertson shot over.

After a poor 1^st half, Ryton restarted with a speculative but unsuccessful longshot. Both teams tried to attack but it was the Stan who broke the deadlock in 50 minutes when Campbell broke free into the box, keeping free from 3 defenders, and blasted past the keeper for 1-0. Regan then had to catch before a Campbell free kick was cleared in 53 minutes. A Robertson blasted shot hit a defender. In 57 minutes, a great run by Holland under pressure down the wing resulted in a great cross to Robertson in the box whose header was blocked for a corner from which Middleton headed over. Regan then saved at the other end. In 59 minutes Sakellaropoulos was booked for a defending tackle and the resulting free kick went just over.

The Stan were having more possession than Ryton but with limited end product. Hoggins replaced Robertson in 64 minutes and after some Stan pressure there was another quiet period. In 74 minutes, a deflected Holland cross was caught by Holder followed by Ryton shooting wide. A Ryton defender was booked for a tackle on Campbell and in 80 minutes Ryton headed just wide. Holder the home keeper spent much of the 2^nd half time wasting but ironically by complaining loudly (reminiscent of his Slade namesake) to the referee about time wasting and he eventually got Regan booked. He forgot that he had spent the 1^st half time wasting as his team hoped for a 0-0 draw. He was definitely not going to be heard singing My Friend Stan though.

In 86 minutes a Ryton player dived in the Stan box but nothing was given. It was followed by a long ball to an advancing Campbell but he shot over. Kerridge then made a great attacking move into the box but his cross went too wide. In the 90^thminute a Campbell long shot went over. Into injury time and the Stan pressure continued but it ended with just the 1 goal separating the teams. The Stan were the better team with Ryton not really looking like they would score. The Stan now face a bigger challenge on Wednesday when Morpeth visit Grounsell Park in the Senior Cup.

Stan Team: Regan; Middleton, Hall, Miller; Sakellaropoulas; Mason; Holland (Kerridge 79); Charmey (Imray 75); Campbell; Robertson (Hoggins 64); Burns.

Goal: Campbell 50.

Yellow Cards: Regan, Sakellaropoulos

Sub not used: Fulcher.

Attendance: 42.

Kevin Mochrie